Windows 2000: startup problem

For the past few weeks, when I power up the laptop, after it comes up with the Dell logo splash screen, it goes to a blank screen and refuses to go further. Normally, the "Starting Windows" status bar would appear at this point, followed by the Windows 2000 splash screen before it proceeded to the desktop. I now have to shut the power off again one or more times before the status bar appears and the laptop proceeds to bootup. Sometimes, it is once, sometimes more - it is a random number of times. I have reformatted the entire hard drive twice, to no avail!!

TIA.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;q314503&ID=KB;EN-US;q314503  

I, too, have seen this.  Do you have several USB devices connected?

The problem is in the boot sctor of you boot HD.

With luck, next time you get the laptop boot up, go to the command prompt menu: Start menu-->program-->accessorites-->command prompt.

At the prompt, type in chkdsk/r, then reboot, the next time you manage to bootup, chkdsk is going to fix whatever program in the MBR and boot sector. And it might even tell you whether your HD has virus.

Hope this help.

K

Oh, one more thing, can you start with the win2k cd?
if you can that's easier, you can either use the method I mentioned before or use the winn2k cd's build-in repair function.

K